About a week ago, someone named Melissa emailed me and asked for my thoughts on the romper. Specifically, how I felt about rompers being back in style.

My mind immediately went back to the times in my life that I’ve worn a romper. If memory serves (which is debatable) I have lived through three variations of the romper trend. The first was as an infant and toddler when I wore onesies and bubble suits. However, that doesn’t really count because the romper never really goes out of style for that age group.

The next memory I have of wearing a romper is sometime around second or third grade. It was terrycloth and I think I wore it with Yo-Yos. I don’t believe I need to say anymore about that.

And, lastly, there was a romper stage in my early college years. Although we didn’t call it a romper, but rather a one-piece shorts outfit. Frankly, I think that’s a better term from a marketing standpoint.

Adult in a romper? NO.

Adult in a one piece shorts outfit? Probably still no, but it sounds better.

The best part is I actually have photographic evidence of the one-piece shorts outfit that I wore in the summer of 1990 during a family vacation to Bermuda. I bought it at The Limited and I was certain I’d never looked more stylish.

Sweet helmets.

Sadly, there is no record of what I was wearing on my feet. But I’d be willing to bet cash money that there’s good chance it might have been some white Keds.

I can’t really think about it.

And I’m not sure why I was so dressed up in my one-piece shorts outfit when my sister appears to wearing only a t-shirt and my dad is sporting some seriously high-waisted white shorts. But, to be fair, he’s rockin’ those shades.

Would I repeat the romper trend? NO.

Would I repeat it if it was called a one-piece shorts outfit? Still a no.

However, the romper is apparently back and if you can pull it off and don’t mind having to completely undress to go to the bathroom, then I say more power to you, my friend. Rock on in your romper.

Here are just a few quick fashion notes today because I went out last night and am a little tired.

(I went to an art show because I am cultured and sophisticated.)

(I didn’t really understand any of the art and it’s probably a bad sign that the piece I loved the most was called “The McRancho” and featured the Ronald McDonald clown riding various bulls across a Texas landscape.)

1. The Limited (home of the 1990 one-piece shorts outfit) has a bunch of really cute dresses on sale right now for $39.90.

This black one-shouldered number totally tempted me until I remembered that my life doesn’t call for a one-shouldered black dress.

2. Gap has all their mens’ and womens’ shorts on sale for $25 for three more days. I told P about it and he said, “Who on earth pays TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS for a pair of shorts?”

Bless his heart. It’s no wonder he believes that everything that comes in this house costs $15. Anymore than that is just highway robbery.

Comments

“The secret Victoria doesn’t want you to know”…. in my state of sleeplessness surfing the internet because I can’t watch Golden Girls reruns on tv, I was starting to get a little sleepy til I just laughed out loud at that line!

“I see Melanie, I see Chrissy, I see Joey…I see…”
I do remember Romper Room, and the Magic Mirror more than anything. I’d need a super magic mirror if I wore a romper though, shoot! A Magic Mirror that didn’t show my shame or my cellulite.

I look forward to Fashion Friday, and I’m really NOT a fashiony kind of girl. But it’s so fun to read.

I actually was scheduled to be on Romper Room when I was in the first grade, but got the mumps instead and my best friend took my place. It was a crushing blow. I have also worn a romper in my early 20’s and I’m sorry to say it was hot pink. I wore a hot pink visor with it and thought that I was … well, not hot, but kinda cool. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, and thanks for blogging.

True confessions: I wore a floral romper ON MY HONEYMOON in 1995. Oh the horrors. This cute little old lady stopped me in the resort where we honeymooned and went gaga over my “romper.” That should have been my first clue, I guess. HA!

Okay going to check out your links now. I really wish I had the guts to wear a maxi dress. I tried on a cute black one at a CAbi party but it felt so fancy, wearing a floor-length dress, even if it is the material of a sweatshirt.

I dragged my boyfriend shopping with me a few weeks ago…he saw a romper and was completely mystified by it. He spent a few minutes trying to figure out what it was exactly, and then kept asking me if people actually wear them, if I’d seen anyone wear one, stated that he’d never seen anyone wear one, etc. So glad you addressed the romper issue, I was sort of confused by them myself!

This has been an interesting trip down memory lane. Does anyone remember a certain romper or one piece thing that pooked out in the stomach and looked like it belonged on a pregnant woman somewhere around 1981 or 82?

It was the 6th grade. (If I did the math right which is questionable.) Let’s just say early 80’s. Mine was yellow. Banana yellow. They came in long pants as well as shorts. An overall of sorts. Only so NOT denim. The mid-section literally pooked out. WHAT was that about?

Now fast-forward to, to. . . NOW!! My two oldest daughters include in my mother’s day gifts a “romper”. Having recently bought one for themselves I suppose I was the next on the list. I’m still undecided about it. However, because it was part of my “gift” and because I thought it looked comfortable I decided to put it on one evening to YES sleep in. It had a built in bra so WHY NOT? Then giggles followed me. “You’re SLEEPING in that?” Hmmmph!!!!

I’ll have you know after ten or thirty trips to the bathroom BEFORE I crashed that night I decided it had to go. I gave it another try one morning when I was going to be hanging out at home all day babysitting the grandson and another child. Who am I kidding? This is pretty much the norm around here almost daily. This time I added a strapless bra. More giggles. “Um, mom? You DO know that’s a bathing suit cover?”

Sister, I’m loving the romper! I bought one at the end of last summer & then bought another one this season. So comfy & much cuter than The Limited days! I’m sure I had that same romper because I worked there from 1989-1996! Remember all of those skorts & jams????

I can’t find where the GAP shorts are only $25??? I’m I missing something? I LOVE their boyfriend style shorts, but don’t want to spend $60 on something that I can only wear 2 months out of the year in Nebraska.

I remember the romper. I’m pretty sure I had one very similar to the one you are rocking in that picture. I also had the romper with the long pants too. Of course I had matching giant hair bows for each of them! Why did we all dress like toddlers?? I can’t embrace the new romper trend… too many memories and pictures to prove it!

TOTALLY saw a grown woman get out of her minivan with her two kids as I was sitting in the drive-thru at Burger King yesterday IN A ROMPER (errr…one-piece shorts outfit). I was looking at her trying to figure out WHAT she had on (I thought it was just a really short dress), but alas, it wasn’t. It actually didn’t look THAT bad but I was just like..ummm…what?

Is that a brown braided belt you have on with your romper?? I sooo remember those days.
And let me just say that I have four kids and barely make it to the bathroom in time as it is. I can’t imagine having to tackle the romper in there too. I would never make it.

Worse than the romper — the shorts overalls/”shortalls”. Gag! My teenage daughter keeps looking at them. I told her no one looks cute in overalls, not even Farmer John. Totally accents the tushy, no way is that a good look. But a romper as a bathing suit cover-up, that could work!

I got married in August of 1990. We went to the Cayman Islands for our honeymoon. We rented a moped for the week. I hung onto my true love on the back of the moped wearing, I kid you not … a romper just like that and WHITE KEDS. My inlaws have a picture of Bill and I on our honeymoon hanging on their wall (not on the moped!). Every time my teenage, fashion critic, daughter sees it she says … “MOM, WHY were you wearing NURSE shoes?!?!?”.

I had a romper in 1993, when hubs and I were first dating. He went shopping with me and gave his seal of approval to the navy-blue-with-white-polka-dots romper. In fact, if I asked him now, he would probably list it as one of his favorite outfits that I have owned! 🙂

I know I can always come here for a good giggle! I had flashbacks of my college graduation when I, too, fell victim to the romper. It was a silk floral little number and I thought it was cute at the time….I would never where anything like this ever again!

Oh, how I LOVED Romper Room. And Captain Kangaroo! Wonder if you can buy old episodes on DVD? That’s what little kids should be watching today instead of those weird shows they pass off as cartoons. And I too remember the one piece shorts-suit. Had them my senior year in high school! Ugh.

Okay, you have totally solved my romper questions that I didn’t even know existed. While I never really seriously considered a romper as a possibility for my summer wardrobe you have settled it for me. I do NOT want to completely undress to go the potty the 476 times a day my peanut bladder requires. NO WAY!!

May I add myself to the long list of 1990-Romper-Wearers? Mine was from The Limited too (not to be confused with Limited Too), but it was red with little white polka dots and simply gorgeous. I wore it with white flats that KILLED my feet.

I heard the Spanx bra is the answer to the dreaded “back fat” that bra lines may accentuate. A very big Noooooo to the romper- Please and thank you!
Loved the photo, too. Strike a pose, there’s nothin’ too it.

Rompers were never good and yes I rocked a few of my own in days gone by — I have tried to destroy all photographic evidence of this lapse in fashion judgment but there are still a few photos out there in my snazzy hot pink one.

Thanks to your fashion friday edition, I stepped into the limited for the first time in my life, and found the perfect one shoulder dress for wedding festivities in dallas next week!! and it was half off! even better!

and i don’t like rompers.. i think you have to super petite and tiny to even think about pulling it off – which i am neither…

I actually bought the one-shoulder black dress today for a wedding next month. I wasn’t sure about bc I’m not typically needing of that type of dress either, but a great friend encouraged me so now I must black strappy (uncomfortable) shoes to wear. And I also refuse to revisit the days of the romper!!!!! There are some things that should not come back into style!

Well, between admitting my love for Hall and Oates and the fact that I bought 2 rompers from the Limited this year, I would say my cool factor just dropped a couple thousand knotches. Which means I am nowhere on the cool factor map now. Everytime I go to undress myself to go potty I will think what you said, but maybe since I am dressing like my 2 year old, I should add Depends to my wardrobe list when wearing these.

I had my senior picture made in a romper in 1991 and I totally thought I was stylin!! It was a blue floral number and I shudder every time I see that picture. I also had a hot pink number that took quite a bit of contortion to put on, seeing as it was sleeveless, v-neck in front and back, not made of stretchy material, and had absolutely no buttons anywhere on it. Torture, I tell you! But boy, I thought I looked hot!

First off, I LOVED Romper Room and still know the importance of being a “Do Bee”. Second, because of my age, I got to rock rompers twice. First time was my pre-teen years (late 70’s/early 80’s) with the sa-weet terry cloth, sleeveless ones, then in the 90’s I rocked out the ones like you so sportingly model. My fave one was navy blue with white polka dots that I wore with white Keds, my shoulder length spiral permed hair pulled back in a matching polka dotted bow the size of a dinner plate and my gravity defying bangs soaring to the heavens. Oh sweet mercy, those were the days. I also had to laugh at Blogaroni and Dees reminder of the floral bubble suit with the lace collar. I had a Laura Ashley one and thought it was the BEST evah! Thanks for memories. And no, I will not be puttin’ my fat fanny in a romper again.

Yep, you look like your dad and Amy looks like your mom. Undeniable in this photo.

And, hey, don’t forget those bubble one-piece floral romper things we wore in high school. Wasn’t it high school? You gotta remember them. But why we sported a clown suit with huge flowers and peter pan collars and then topped it off with red flats and a HUGE red bow in our hair is BEYOND ME. I mean, my goal was (and still is) to make sure my butt didn’t look big, so I guess I thought making everything else look big would surely disguise it.

Loved Romper Room! I even got the Romper Stompers for Christmas! Shamefully I admit to buying maternity rompers (yes, plural) in 1998. What pregnant woman without a waist doesn’t look better in a one-piece shorts romper, hot pink and floral. Don’t even get me started on what the pregnant bladder dictated.

My brother was on an episode of Romper Room when he was little; it’s his only claim to fame. As for Adult Rompers only about 1% of the population can pull them off extremely skinny, very tall, sophisticated modern art connoisseurs.

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Who is Melanie?

My name is Melanie and, in some strange twist of fate, I’m also known as Big Mama because I started this blog in July of 2006 when my daughter, Caroline, was not quite three years old and I was in the process of convincing her that BIG girls use the potty and BIG girls don’t have pacifiers, thus she thought BIG was the highest compliment in the land and began referring to me as BIG MAMA.